Venerable George of Cernica

Venerable George was born in 1730 to pious Orthodox parents in the town of Sălişte, near Sibiu in Romania. From his youth he was inclined toward the monastic life. However, at that time the Roman Catholic Austrian rulers of Transylvania tried to suppress Orthodoxy, especially Orthodox monasticism, in order to make the faithful unite with them. Therefore, at the age of nineteen, the young man went to Wallachia and came to the Greek Metropolitan Rosca, who was in Bucharest at that time. He became George's Spiritual Father.

Shortly thereafter, in 1750, he accompanied his Spiritual Father to Constantinople, and then to Mount Athos. There he settled at Vatopaidi Monastery, and was tonsured as a monk, and later he was ordained as a deacon. After the repose of his Elder, he became a disciple of Saint Paϊsios Velichkovsky at the Prophet Elias Skete. There, in 1752, Saint Paϊsios tonsured Father George into the Great Schema. Two years later he was ordained as a Hieroschema-monk for the Romanian community at Saint Elias Skete.

During his stay on Mount Athos he advanced with great zeal and much spiritual benefit, on the ladder of spiritual perfection, In 1763, together with sixty-four other disciples, he followed Saint Paϊsios to Dragomirna Monastery in Moldavia. For the next twelve years, he served this Monastery as a Hieromonk, Confessor, and steward.

When Bukovina fell under the power of Roman Catholic Austria in 1775, the Dragomirna brethren, led by Elder Paϊsios, moved to Secu Monastery. In 1779, he followed Saint Paϊsios to Neamț Monastery, where he lived for another two years. In 1781, with the blessing of his Elder he went to Mount Athos again.

On his return to Bucharest, he met Metropolitan Gregory II of Wallachia, who was a disciple of Saint Paϊsios, and his old friend Hieromonk Makarios. After their persistent persuasion, followed by prayer and fasting, and a vision of Saint Nicholas, he agreed to undertake the revival of monastic life at Cernίca Monastery, which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and which had been in ruins for more than thirty years. His task was to establish a monastery in this region of Wallachia with a cenobitic Rule, similar to the Athonite and Paisian monasteries.

With the help of the Wallachian ruler Nicholas Mavrogenes and other Christians, Father George began to restore the main church and the cells. He devoted a lot of time to perfecting the spiritual life of the monks. In the monastery the Services were performed every day, along with reading the Holy Scriptures and the works of the Holy Fathers of the Church, and work which was carried out in numerous obediences: including copying manuscripts and physical labor. With his sacrificial and gifted shepherding, he revived the spiritual life at Cernίca Monastery. After just five years, the community grew to 103 monks.

In 1785, Saint George became gravely ill and, expecting his imminent demise, made his will in which he prescribed the proper order of life of the monastic community. However, he soon recovered and continued his pastoral labors.

In view of his successes, in 1793, Metropolitan Philaret II of Wallachia also assigned him to Căldărușani Monastery. From April 1794, Father George lived in both monasteries alternately, appointing Igoumens in them, especially during his absence. In both monasteries he introduced the Athonite-Paisian cenobitic Rule, which included worship seven times a day, frequent Confession, obedience, constant prayer, and a common meal.

Saint George continued to manage both monasteries until the very end of his earthly life. He reposed on December 3, 1806, lamented by the numerous brethren of the two monasteries. He was buried at Cernica Monastery, in front of the church of Saint Lazarus.

After Saint George's repose, he was venerated as a pastor of high spiritual life, the leader of the two great monastic centers of Wallachia, a renewer of the true monastic life of the Athos and Paisian hesychastic tradition. The Elder had many disciples and followers, such as Saint Kallinikos of Cernίca, Hieromonk Makarios and others.

At the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on October 20-21, 2005, Elder George was glorified and numbered among the Saints. The formal announcement of his canonization took place at Cernίca Monastery on the day of his commemoration December 3, 2005, with Patriarch Theoktistos of Romania presiding at the Service.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of August 21, 2007, Saint George's name was included in the Synaxarion of the Russian Orthodox Church.